If somebody discovered a $7,000 Dior purse being bought for $1,700, they is likely to be suspicious. That is why, for mother-daughter duo Dianne and Gabrielle Melillo, the consignment enterprise is not nearly good merchandise. It is about belief.
“We work in a discipline the place our objects are pre-owned,” Gabrielle says. “Our prospects should belief us and our stage of transparency. We deal with them like we might deal with our pals. We might by no means steer them within the mistaken path on these things.”
The Melillos are franchisees with Season 2 Consign, a model that sells secondhand items in particular person and on-line. They opened their first territory in 2023 in central New Jersey (a territory is their assigned area for sourcing items), and this yr, after being named one of many Worldwide Franchise Affiliation’s Franchisees of the 12 months, they opened a second territory in northern New Jersey — making them Season 2 Consign’s first multi-unit homeowners. Right here, they share what they’ve realized constructing a trust-based enterprise.
Associated: Your Clients Will not Belief You Until You Embrace These 5 Methods
Dianne, why did you resolve to open a Season 2 Consign franchise?
I spent a few years working because the nationwide gross sales director of North America for high-end European dressmaker Giambattista Valli. I am 58, and my husband owns auto physique outlets. He made me assume that I wished to personal my very own enterprise. I used to be promoting and shopping for my very own luxurious objects on the secondary market. When Season 2 Consign introduced on Instagram that they have been going to start out franchising, I jumped on it.
Gabrielle, why did you resolve to grow to be a 50-50 accomplice together with your mother?
I labored for a number of totally different corporations, various from trend to lip balms. I knew about e-commerce as a result of I ran the businesses’ web sites. I am 31, and I give up my job to do that. I wished to start out my very own enterprise as properly.
What have been your greatest challenges?
Dianne: The technical half was a giant studying curve. We use software program for the whole lot: loading issues onto the web site, how we do issues with our consigners. Gabrielle actually knew that side of it, however I knew the place we might make a revenue, how objects wanted to be priced, what the good luxurious objects could be if we might get them.
Gabrielle: I needed to study the entire names of the leathers, the forms of purses, extra in regards to the luxurious side of it, and the entire historical past behind the luxurious objects and luxurious manufacturers. We’ve got a really savvy buyer base.
Associated: 5 Methods to Construct Model Buyer Belief (and Why It Issues Extra Than Ever Earlier than)
How do you achieve these savvy prospects’ belief with pre-owned objects?
Dianne: Folks will attain out to us through DMs. They’re going to contact us via Instagram. One buyer purchased a $2,000 bag from us and requested us for a video on how one can change the strap. One other one requested us to take a photograph of one thing in a bag. We’re very private with our prospects and our consigners on so many ranges. We’ll take that video for them.
Is that kind of customer support totally different from what your opponents supply?
Gabrielle: Very totally different.
Our prospects aren’t simply our followers. We continuously get feedback thanking us for serving to them. I really feel like the one means we get to that stage of feedback is when you’re so near your prospects.
Dianne: And since Gabrielle is my daughter, we have now insane belief between us. We’ve got the identical targets for this enterprise, and we work so exhausting. It is such an unimaginable labor of affection.
Do you ever meet your prospects in particular person?
Dianne: Sure, after we do pop-up outlets. We did occasions at a rustic membership, a boutique, and a few spas. Many of the ladies who get Botox and spa therapies are prepared and keen to purchase luxurious objects.
That feels like a target-rich setting for refilling your inventory too.
Dianne: A few of these ladies have such huge collections, they’re giving up their luggage that they do not use anymore. That is principally the place we get our stock. These occasions — a few of them have been actually wonderful for us.
